Balance of Power
by Aoluas Anminti
Summary: In a world where nothing is as it seems and everyone's vying for the power to realize their dreams, how can you find a balance? Chapter One FINALLY up: Meeting at the Hyuuga Estate. Rating will change. 16306 minor revision
1. The Uchiha Estate

_Balance of Power_

By Aoluas Anminti

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**Authors' Note:**

This will be a bit confusing at first. I don't like long explanations in the beginning of stories so I just jump right into things as they stand. Don't worry; things that aren't explained will be, as quickly as I think is appropriate, but only where it fits in, where it can very nearly seamlessly be put into the story. I don't want to confuse you, I want to engage you, and interest you. Also, please know that the first few chapters are going to be short. They are each like a prologue, because there are that many and more story lines in Balance. I ask that you be patient. Arigatou.

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16/3/06 edit

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**IIINTRODUCTIONS II**

The Uchiha Estate 

He was there again; sitting on the ledge of one of the high dojo windows. She didn't know why he came here, especially at night when it was dark and quiet – when the only senses you had left were taste and touch and smell, in this room where the walls were crusty with dried blood. The air stank of it, and tasted like rot. Yet he still came into this magnificent, decrepit building night after night, counting off the names of dead relatives, staring out either at the barely moonlit artificial landscape within, or through the window to the wondrous, real expanse of forest, trees, and river without. The forest and river surrounded and cradled his home – not the dojo but his whole, wide estate. She worried about him, and wondered about his reasoning, because to visit the site of the slaughter of one's clan constantly could not be healthy. Surely he knew this. Didn't he want to surmount his grief?

"Uchiha-sama," she tried timidly, her voice echoing in the dojo. He didn't turn. "Uchiha-sama," she tried again, a little louder. Still there was no response. She gathered her courage, wary of punishment, and stuttered: "Sasuke-sama!"

Cold sharingan eyes turned to regard her. She shivered. "You know not to call me so casually, Haruno." Always, his voice was flat. He never called her Sakura. She hated the feeling that he was looking past her, or _into_ her, rather than at her.

"I apologize, Uchiha-sama." She bowed. "You did not answer when I first called." Even to her own ears, her voice sounded tinny and meek. She hated it.

"You called." It wasn't a question. "It must be late." That, strangely enough, was one.

"It's past the sixth night hour1, Uchiha-sama." Sakura answered.

"I'm going to bed." He said, jumping down to the ground and seeming – to her, at least – to float. He was always going to bed, but never to sleep. And not once, yet, with her.

"Do you want me to…" she began hesitantly.

"No." He said. "When I want you, I'll tell you."

She flinched. "Yes. Yes, of course, Uchiha-sama." She bowed to his back in farewell. "Dream good things," she whispered.

The next morning when she went to wake him, he was not in his chambers. This was nothing out of the ordinary. She went about his futon, perfecting the already painfully neatly folded blanket. She dusted the shoji to his private garden, she fluffed his small pillow. When she felt that his room really couldn't look any better, she left to locate her master.

She found him in the dojo again, but this time he was not perched on one of the window ledges - he was training. She stood by the entrance for a while and watched him. At least, she watched him as best as she could. She couldn't really see more than a blur of pale tan and black. He was going through a dizzying set of taijutsu and ninjutsu combinations. Sakura knew that Lord Uchiha did not like to feel restricted while he trained in the morning, so she prepared herself not to react inappropriately if she saw more than what his usual kimono covered. He paused to stretch out a muscle that had gone taut, and she signaled for his attention as he did. One sharingan flicked to her briefly, then he stood and nodded in her general direction for her to speak as he walked to retrieve on of the towels on the wall.

"Breakfast is ready and your room is clean, Uchiha-sama." She bowed slightly.

He nodded. "I won't need lunch." He left the dojo and headed in the direction of the bath house area – to his private enclosed hot springs.

She followed him to the door, then hesitated. "Uchiha-sama." She called.

He paused, then waved his hand for her to come up next to him. She did, and he waited patiently while she put together her words.

"The… the p-prep… anou, the preparations for…"

"Presentation." He finished for her. She nodded. "They've been made." She nodded again. "Are you nervous?" His head turned toward her and he looked at her for the first time that day, his eyes a natural obsidian shade.

She gulped. Moments like these were rare – these times when he looked at her, not through, around, or into. She opened her mouth to stutter that no, she wasn't scared. She tried to tell him that she trusted him and his abilities, because she loved him. She wanted to say that his silent fierceness was invincible.

Nothing came out.

The corner of his lip twitched and then returned: the tiniest of smiles. Her inarticulate mouth closed and she looked down, ashamed of her inability to express herself properly. _He doesn't need to laugh at me…._

"Don't be." He murmured. "My father promised yours that no harm would come to you, and I intend to honor that." His voice slipped into a deep, apathetic drone. Protecting her, defending her – it was a duty and not a pleasure for him. She had known that, but every time she realized it anew, it stung.

"Thank you, Uchiha-sama." She said, bowing. "Uchiha Tojo-sama was a very good man."

He grunted in acknowledgement of her comment, and began walking away again. As he did, he called over his shoulder. "Pack clothes enough for two days, for both of us. Hyuga-sama has summoned us, and we leave tonight." She bowed and he paused, seeming to debate something. She tensed. Finally….

"What is it, Uchiha-sama? What's wrong?" She didn't want to be sold._Please, kami, let this meeting not be so that he can arrange to sell me…._

"Hyuga-sama's message implied that it has something to do with Uzumaki the Younger."

_That's no better for me,_ Sakura thought.

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1 I use a different time system here, which is divided into twelve hours of night and twelve hours of daylight. The sixth night hour is midnight, the sixth day one, noon. The twelfth day hour is sunset, the twelfth night one, sunrise. You get it? Got it? Good.

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Please please please read and **REVIEW**. The reading part you've pretty much obviously done if you're down here. It's thereviewing part that people seem to need help with. I don't need much – just two words, is all. More is appreciated. 


	2. Neji and Illiatha

_Balance of Power_

By Aoluas Anminti

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AN: The reason this Introduction is not taking place at the Lord's home is for two reasons. Number one, if it were, Hyuga Neji-sama would already have met Ahana-san and it would take time out for her origins to be explained. Numbert two, the Hyuga have a slightly different way of organizing their family in this fic (this _is_ an AU, after all, so I can do that! HA!) and I'm just lazy, so I didn't want to go into that right now.

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16/3/06 edit.

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**-II-INTRODUCTIONS -II-**

_Hyuga-sama, Nara-sama, and Illiatha_

He really hated rain. He disliked the incessant sound it made against anything and everything – the waterproof cloth of a tent, the tiles of a roof, the metal of armor, and the rippling surface of a river – plopping and plitting and splattering in a messy, haphazard way. He disliked the smell of it, or maybe the fact that it didn't have a scent of its own but rather borrowed from what was around it, suppressing some things. It intensified hot, wet smells, and nullified cool ones. It made a battlefield reek. The most bothersome thing, though, the thing that really got him in a foul mood, was the way it obscured his senses – sight, hearing, smell. It made things slippery and the ambient temperature iffy. He half supposed that it made food taste worse.

It was raining when they brought her into his tent.

She wasn't one of the slaves that he'd brought with his army as a nurse or a cook, because she was obviously foreign – that was the first thing he noticed about her. No one native to the main part of Hokoku had skin so tan. No, not tan, her skin was brown. No one native to Hokoku had skin that dark, with hair so bright – white, even. He couldn't see her eyes; she was looking away and down, and her white hair hung in dirty clumps over them. He looked expectantly at the two officers who had brought her in. The older and more highly ranked one on the right, Shoji, spoke.

"Lord Hyuga!" the man bowed deeply from the waist and rose again. "We have captured a young woman." Did he think Neji was blind? Of course he could see that. Instead of gracing him with a reply, Lord Hyuga stared at the soldier. Shoji squirmed, shifted his weight, and tried to hide the fact that he was fidgeting. Finally, he seemed to realize that he was expected to continue. "The woman is from the village that we just overpowered. She's our prisoner."

Lord Hyuga suppressed an agitated sigh. "…and?" he drawled.

The younger officer, Fujii, looked at Shoji briefly. The senior man gave him a short nod. Fujii cleared his throat nervously and bowed deeply. "W-we… we wanted to… t-to…" He cleared his throat again, and then a third time. He flicked his gaze up to meet his lord's, then bowed again. "If your soldiers could have her as a pleasure slave, they'd – we'd – be very grateful! Lord Hyuga!" the last seemed like an afterthought; something that the man had only added to try and flatter him, as if the repetition of his title brought him joy.

Lord Hyuga stared at him both, then gave the girl a long look. Finally…

"No."

Shoji looked very disappointed. "But, sir,"

"I said no."

Again, Shoji tried. "Sir, she really isn't good for much else, and…" He fell suddenly silent. Most people tended to, when Lord Hyuga glared at them with his byakugan. Fujii looked furtively at Lord Hyuga and put his hand on Shoji's shoulder. "We should leave, Shoji-san." His comrade mutely nodded and turned toward the exit. Fujii lingered and hesitantly bowed to Lord Hyuga. "Sumimasen, Lord Hyuga."

"Send for Lord Nara."

Fujii nodded. A few minutes later Nara entered Lord Hyuga's tent. He briefly glanced at the girl who was still standing by the door, head down, then nodded at Lord Hyuga. Lord Hyuga twitched. "What kind of advisor are you, not to be availiable when I might need advising?"

Lord Nara shrugged. "It's too much work to stay in here."

Lord Hyuga frowned. "All you have to do is sit next to me – sit, not even stand – and give me advice when I ask for it."

Lord Nara moved his mouth in a way where it wasn't quite a pout, but looked more like his lips were stuck in the position that comes right after a sigh. "Too troublesome. All the people who come in here complaining, and asking things, and reporting, having to listen to them and listen to you and then even toss my own two cents in - too troublesome."

Lord Hyuga frowned deeply. "Shikamaru…"

Shikamaru interrupted him. "Neji… It's not like you really need me here anyway. All we're doing now is building the outpost and taking care of the natives."

Neji continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "…what were you doing that you couldn't spare the time to fulfill your duty?"

Shikamaru frowned. "Don't say it like that…"

"Shikamaru."

"I was watching to see if weather conditions were all right for our return journey home."

"You were cloud watching in the rain?"

"I wasn't cloud watching. Looking at dark clouds isn't enough to make up for the trouble I'd have to go to to get the mud out of my clothes."

Neji decided to give it up. "Whatever, Shikamaru. What do you make of this?" He gestured to the dark girl by the entrance.

Shikamaru looked at her for a minute. "The soldiers wanted her for a slave, huh?"

Neji nodded. "They didn't tell me where or how they got her."

Upon closer inspection, Shikamaru's eyes widened – just barely. "She's a priestess. See the tattoo over her left shoulder? And the one around her right ankle. You shouldn't just let the men have her – she's important to the natives, and they won't follow any of your orders if you kill their priestess. Or one of their priestesses. From the reports I looked over, if this is who I think she is, she's also the daughter of the second in command."

Neji smiled slightly. "You actually worked to research this, Shikamaru?"

"No, I used my power as your advisor and strategist to order other shinobi to work for the information. All I had to do was read the results."

"Even when you work you're lazy."

Shikamaru shrugged that comment off. "At least I make sure I have what we need. I mean, what point is there in trying to expand if you don't know what you're expanding into? If your men get in trouble with something they weren't prepared for, it's my fault, since you always give the responsibility to me. It's such a nuisance though, you know? I know more about the people between Hokoku and Kazekoku than I ever wanted to, now."

"It'll help if there are still conflicts between peoples once this area is assimilated. Go check if the men have taken any other women from the village as slaves."

"Why?"

Neji glared.

"Yare yare, can't you send one of your lesser servants to do it?"

"You're too lazy to make the effort to decieve me about the results or try to take a woman for yourself."

Shikamaru snorted and turned to leave.

"Nara," Neji began, "before you go, tell me: do these people speak japanese?"

Shikamaru replied, "Perfectly – just a little accent." and left.

When Shikamaru was gone, Neji turned his attention to the girl. After a few minutes she finally moved, but that was only to sit down. A short while after that, she took off her sandals and began to massage her feet. She proceeded to wring out her hair, try to wipe the mud off of her person and inspect her nails. Neji was becoming annoyed – she acted like he wasn't even in the room.

"Come here." He ordered.

She glanced up at him and he caught sight of eyes a color he'd never seen before – a dark but vibrant green-yellow. There was a rebellious and scornful look in them before she cast her attention back to her nails.

"Woman… come here."

She looked at him again, as if guaging whether or not it was worth her effort to follow his commands. She looked at him as if he were below her, and it infuriated him. It reminded him of the looks he used to get from the old Main Family, especially the looks he received from his uncle, Hyuga Hiashi. He made an almost visible effort to reign in his temper. Women were not meant to be insolent, they were meant to obey. That was the way of the world; who did this savage priestess think she was?

Finally she rose from her sitting position and walked over to him. He looked at her from the ochre-colored tattoo on her right ankle to her torn, dirty white dress to the black tatto around her left shoulder, and finally to her face, twisted into a less-than becoming frown. "What's your name?" he asked.

She hesitated. "I come from the Ahana line." Her accent was just thick enough to be definitely noticeable, but not so much that her speech was unintelligible. For all that her expression tried to convey strength and arrogance, her voice tremored just slightly when she spoke. "…my father named me Illiatha."

"Iriaza? Strange name."

"No, Illiatha. It not a japanese name, you can not say it that way."

He ignored her comment, but made a mental note to pronounce her name correctly the next time he said it. "You're coming back with me as insurance for your people's loyalty, but understand that this does not mean you will be treated any differently from the other women."

"I betrothed.You can not take me." Illiatha said, stiking out her chin.

"That's the second time you've told me what I can't do. I have the authority and the power to do what I want with you. Do you understand?" Neji growled.

"I say you can not…" She snapped her mouth shut as his hand flew towards her face. She recoiled, but realized that while his hand had been close, even if she hadn't moved, it wouldn't have hit her. She felt a slight tingle on her cheek, but ignored it. She tried to open her mouth to speak again, but found that she couldn't. She looked confused, then scared, and then very, very angry.

Neji looked nonchalant as she glared at him and made a slight gesture off to his side. A demure girl with short black hair pulled into a tight ponytail and downcast eyes crept forward and took Illiathat's hand, leading her out of Lord Hyuga's tent and into a smaller, sparsely furnished one, obviously meant for his servants. The demure girl left and returned shortly with a lukewarm bucket of water and towels and helped Illiatha wipe the mud off of her skin – her clothes were done for. As she was helping Illiatha into a plain, dry white kinomo, she whispered,

"Welcome to life as a woman in Hokoku." A light, timid chuckle followed.

_Welcome, indeed_, Iliatha thought.

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Hokoku – literally 'Fire Country" … wonder if it should be Kakoku…? Nah. 

Fujii and Shoji – These are both Japanese surnames (last names… I got them from my nifty Essential Kanji book LOVE LOVE!), not first names. Fujii contains the kanji for wisteria and well (water well), and Shoji contains the kanji for countryside and administer. They're just random names, really, but seeing as these guys are named now and all, they might show up later somehow.

Sumimasen – Excuse me, which, I have been told, also means 'I'm sorry,' as in 'Please excuse my behavior." Fun.

Kazekoku – "Wind Country"

Iriaza – This is basicllly what 'Illiatha' looks like when it's put into japanese characters (they don't have an 'l,' so they substitute it with 'r' and they don't have a 'th' sound, either, so they use 'z' instead) the katakana characters would be i, ri, a, and za.

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End Author's Notes

I feel like I got Neji and Shika out of character here – they're hard to write, you know? And I went way _way_ **_way_** over the size limit for the Intoductions… Shika actually wasn't even supposed to be here, but… ahg. But if this chapter sucks, don't blame me. I went off on a little tangent and got carried away and by the time I got this done it was basically agreed that it'd just be cruel to make you guys wait any longer, just because I wanted to write the whole thing over again (which I've already done, three times…)

As always, I'd like you to **_review_**…it does help with speed, y'know.


	3. Naruto, Hinata, and Akiyoshi

_Balance of Power_

By Aoluas Anminti

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AN: Someone did get the Tojo reference, but the reviewed with the answer instead of e-mailing. Ah, well. By the way, it was a reference to Hideki Tojo, WWII. I guess we just don't have any history freaks reading, huh? Apologies for the chapter begining so late, but things came up. Read on, and enjoy.

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**-III- INTRODUCTIONS -III-**

_Uzumaki-sama, Hyuuga Hinata, and Masaoka-san_

Sunlight filtered in through a high window onto a futon covered, strangely enough, in a bright orange blanket. From this protruded a man's sleeping, tanned face, topped by messy blond hair. Sitting on the edge of the bed was a demure-looking woman in a casually tied white robe with short black hair, who gently ran her palm over the contours of the man's face while she considered how long it would take to wake him up this morning. Shrugging the question off, she gently nudged his shoulder.

"Naruto-sama." She murmured.

"Mmmwakings….don' talk…shleep…" He said as he hid himself beneath his covers.

"Naruto-sama, you have a meeting with Masaoka-sama this morning,"

"It's not morning 'till m'awake… and, Hinata…" he trailed off.

Hinata waited patiently. Then, when after a minute or two he hadn't continued, she asked, "And what, Naruto-sama?"

A snore answered her.

She sighed, then smiled. "Naruto-sama, really, you'll be late," a light knock came at the door. She tied her robe more securely and knelt by it, opening it slightly. "Yes?"

Masaoka Akiyoshi poked his head inside, ignoring Hinata for the moment, and looked at Naruto. Then he looked down at Hinata and gave her a cursory bow. "He's still in bed, huh?" Akiyoshi grinned. "You tired him out that much?"

Hinata felt her face flush. "Masaoka-sama…"

"Yeah, I know. That was inappropriate. Sorry. But he's late, you know. I've told him about this. He won't earn anyone's respect by sleeping in 'till the sixth hour."

Hinata blinked, then glanced at the window. "Surely it can't be the sixth hour already…?"

Akiyoshi shrugged. "Third. Close enough."

"Please excuse me, but he's not late, then. Your meeting with him is on the fourth hour."

"Yeah, but I didn't hear the telltale crash of when he finally wakes up. I'll just meet with him in here now, then. I don't care if he's not dressed."

"But… Masaoka-sama…"

"It's fine, he won't care." He stepped into the room and, unintentionally, loomed over her. "Now go, eh? I'd like breakfast, you know."

Hinata bowed. "Yes, Masaoka-sama." She rose, stepped out of the room, and knelt by the door and began to close it. He put out his hand and stopped her, causing her to look up at him in askance. His expression was grim for a moment, then smoothed into his natural nonchalance. She knew he'd just stopped himself from saying something of importance.

"No eggs, eh? Just rice, and maybe some miso. But really, no more eggs. I hate eggs."

She bowed. "Yes, Masaoka-sama."

He hesitated, as if about to say something more, then waved her off. Obediently, she closed the door and left to the kitchens. Once she was gone he considered Naruto before plopping down on the side of the futon and letting his fist impact with Naruto's midsection.

"AHHHHH!" Naruto yelled as her curled in on himself, protecting his stomach too late. "What the – who the – oh, Akiyoshi, it's you." He scowled. "You punched me!"

Akiyoshi smiled back, guiltless. "Ohayou, old friend."

Naruto pouted. "Jerk."

"You weren't going to wake up otherwise. I had to." He produced several scrolls from the inner pockets of his kimono. "We can have the meeting right here. I don't want to wait for you to get dressed."

"Jerk."

"You said that already."

As Akiyoshi spread the scrolls out on the bed and unrolled one or two, Naruto sat grumbling. He hated being woken up abruptly. He liked the way Hinata woke him up much better, which was quite reasonable, really, since people generally would prefer being woken by a soft voice and tentative shoulder shaking rather than being punched in the gut. Speaking of Hinata… "Where's Hinata?"

"Breakfast." Akiyoshi answered distractedly. "Now these," he murmured as he unrolled another scroll, "are my spies' newest reports on what the Uchiha army is doing up north. Those over there," he pointed to another scroll that he'd unrolled earlier, "are details on what Hyuuga's doing in the southwest."

"Feh."

"Naruto, are you even listening to me?"

"Sure I am, sure." Naruto yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Did you tell Hinata that I want ramen today?"

Akiyoshi frowned. "How could I have known? You were asleep."

Naruto pursed his lips in what was almost a frown. "C'mon, Aki, you've known me long enough to know what…"

"So has she, so maybe she'll remember your damned ramen. Can we get back to work?"

Naruto frowned, furrowing his brows. "What crawled up your ass? It was just a question."

"Don't say 'ass,' it's not proper."

"You're such a girl. You cuss all the time anyway." Naruto stuck his tongue out, crossed his eyes, stuck his tongue out, and waggled his fingers, every so often making obscene hand gestures.

Aki grit his teeth. "Damn it, Naruto, grow up! Why can't you just…"

"So what did you tell her?" Naruto cut him off.

Aki blinked. "What?"

"About the food, stupid. About breakfast."

Aki sighed. "Eggs. Lots and lots of eggs."

"Oh…" Naruto looked deeply disappointed for a moment, then frowned again. "Hey, wait, you hate eggs! You couldn't've—" He stopped mid-sentence and lifted his nose into the air, sniffing. "I smell miso ramen!" He jumped out of bed and rushed to the door, sliding it open and taking the tray of food from Hinata before she was even within a meter of the entrance.

Akiyoshi sighed and rolled up the scrolls. Things would just have to wait; at the Uzumaki estate, whatever happened did so on Naruto's (somewhat erratic) schedule.

Approximately fifteen minutes later (Naruto had all but inhaled his rather large portions, and Aki never ate much in the mornings anyway), Akiyoshi was finally able to get Naruto to settle down to business.

"…got back to the Hyuuga estate yesterday, rumor has it with a new girl from one of the tribes on the border of Kazekoku."

Naruto huffed, slightly annoyed. "Aki, I'm not interested."

"You _have_ to get over this obsession with Haruno. Uchiha will _never _sell, don't you get that? He'll keep her past her prime, just to be able to shove it in your face."

"Don't talk about her as if she's cattle. She's better than that."

"Yeah, yeah, you've ranted at me about that before. Anyway, Hyuuga probably won't sell to you – again – either. It's just a rumor." Aki waved his hand dismissively.

Naruto was displeased at his attitude, but set his mind back to business. "What are Aburame and Inuzuka up to in the southeast?"

"Nothing spreading north, so no worries there. However, your dad's pretty pissed at you."

"What?" Naruto squawked.

"You're expanding Uzumaki territory into the lands of other lords. What do you expect, huh? I keep telling you, this isn't the way to gain respect."

"They're all convinced that I've only got land because my father's the Hokage! I have to prove them wrong."

"Naruto," Aki said, giving him a dry look, "it was your _father's land_. The only reason you run it is because he moved into the Hokage's castle. They're _right_."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, almost embarrassed. "Well, yeah, but…"

"If you want respect, you could manage the land yourself and make it prosper, or expand into enemy territory – Raikoku up north – like I told you to from the beginning. Or, you could start fighting in the Arena again, and prove your worth as a ninja there. Why can't you do those things?"

"I have to do it my way, Aki."

"But…"

Naruto grinned. "It's my nindo, huh?"

Aki was tired of getting answers that didn't tell him anything. "Don't bullshit me, Naruto."

"Just trust me, okay?"

"Naruto…" Aki said warningly.

"Aki." Naruto's expression was pleading. "Trust me. _Please_."

Akiyoshi sighed. "Fine, Naru." He smiled wryly as he rolled up the various maps and plans. "You know what I think about it. But I'll trust you."

* * *

Kazekoku – "Wind Country" 

Raikoku – "Thunder Country"

Hokage – DUH.

Ohayou – "Good morning."

Nindo – "ninja way," the personal rules and standards by which a ninja lives.

General Update: I had Fire Country as "Hikoku" before, but decided that we should probably base the name of the countries on the names of their kage's – Raikage, Kazekage, Dokage, Hokage, and Mizukage (I think that's how I remember it being in the manga), so "Hikoku" is now "Hokoku." It's a minor change, but I thought it might have been bothering some of you perfectionists out there. I know it bothered me.

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End Author's Notes 

I feel like I got Naruto completely out of character here. le sigh But I did my best, and if you do your best then you're a winner, right? Ha ha, that might have worked if I were still ten. Yare yare… please tell me what you think.

Finally, the last introduction. "Oh my _God_," you say, "what about everyone else?" They're here, or rather, they will be, so don't worry. But, you see, if I had an introduction for each set of people in each place, not only would there be some major spoilerage (it's not a word, but I like to use it anyway), but there would also be more than ten introduction chapters. And we think three prologues is enough, don't you? So, now I can finally begin to write the meat of the story (the chapters, that is). Naruto probably won't appear for a while… not because I don't like him or anything of that sort, but because he doesn't need to. His background is pretty much clear now. Sasuke, Neji, and Sakura, however, still need fleshing out. Illiatha does, as well, perhaps more so than the others, but I don't want to put too too much focus on her, for fear of the story (even temporarily) becoming entirely _about_ her. Does that make sense? Even so, she will be gone into in more depth. People don't get their names into Introduction titles and then get ignored, now do they? By the way, do you all like her?

Next: **Chapter I** – _Meeting at the Hyuuga Estate_


	4. The Meeting at the Hyuuga Estate

_Balance of Power_

By Aoluas Anminti

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**Authors' Note:**

Finally, Chapter One. Are you as excited as I am? pauses and hears crickets chirp Okay, guess not. Well, I'm excited, and I'm going to have fun with this, no matter what. I don't like to beg for reviews, but it really is great incentive to keep going. Without reviews, stories tend to get stuck in limbo.

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**ICHAPTER I**

The Meeting at the Hyuuga Estate 

It was a very warm day for early spring. In the sky there were scattered clouds that occasionally blocked the sun, and a light breeze blew through the Hyuuga gardens, producing the relaxing sound of lightly ruffling leaves and the calming scent of cherry blossoms. Every so often the koi in a large pond would dart up to the surface, the sunlight glinting off of calico scales before they descended back into darker water. Illiatha was sitting on a bench in the garden taking in the scenery and thinking that it was, all in all, a good day.

_If only I could enjoy it,_ Illiatha thought.

She couldn't enjoy it because of one Haruno Sakura, nowhere near as pleasant as her namesake (in Illiatha's opinion), who was always either staring at the dark girl or talking – usually talking.

"I've heard that the summers are very hot where you're from. Is that true? I always love summer; it's the most beautiful time of the year to me. We have some hot days here, but…"

"The summers," Illiatha began irritably, "are so hot that the plains turn to dust and sand, and the grasses blow away. They are so hot that a man caught without water in the plains will die of heat-fatigue and thirst before he has gone even a kilometer. The sun is so blistering that the corpse of that man will be fried to become special cooked meat for the night jackals, or if left long enough will dry until the skin is like leather and the eyes are sunken in and staring. Then the sandstorms will come and rip the flesh from the corpse, leaving the bones to be bleached white by the day. Is that what you wanted to know, _Hana-chan _1?"

Sakura stared at her, horrified, for a moment before hanging her head and focusing her gaze on her lap. Illiatha frowned slightly – she didn't particularly enjoy being unpleasant, but the girl had deserved it for her pestering – and tried to relax and enjoy the day.

She hadn't been at the Hyuuga estate long, but she had been there long enough to hate it. It was an unnerving place, with dark corridors and strange dark shoji, and white eyes everywhere. She'd decided early on, the day upon her arrival, that all of the stories she'd heard as a child were true; these northern fighters weren't human. What kind of human being had white eyes – white – and not even a discernible pupil unless you got very, very close? What kind of being could see all around them, as Hyuuga-sama had when she'd tried to assassinate him in his sleep the night she'd been caught? That had been an unnerving experience – she had been sure that he'd only heard her until he took it upon himself to note the color and arrangement of her clothes and her changed hair.

And there was part of what _most_ bothered her. The moment she'd been caught, she'd been stripped of her practical, traditional tribal clothing and shoved into a restrictive dark green kimono – "to accent her eyes," the handmaid had said – and taught how to act. She couldn't speak to a man unless bidden to, not even then if her owner – owner, for Gobi's 2 sake! – had told her to be silent. She could speak to most women – most, not all, because apparently she had to be addressed by the Hokage's concubine before being allowed to speak to her – and she had to sit before opening or closing any door, even her own, at night, when no one was around to observe her. Most importantly, as all of her tutors had stressed, she was to obey men. That was paramount.

_Well, screw that,_ Illiatha thought rebelliously.

"What was that?" Sakura queried.

Illiatha frowned to herself again. _I must have said it out loud._ "Nothing," she murmured, "I just hate it here."

"Why?" Sakura asked, genuinely puzzled. "I've heard that Hyuuga-sama is a good man."

Illiatha stared at her incredulously. "What would you know about it?" she snapped, then, before Sakura could reply, she continued. "And what would it matter anyway, if he was? I am a _slave_, and so are you! That does not _bother_ you?"

Sakura smiled suddenly in a way that was slightly patronizing. "Oh, no, you don't understand. Slaves and concubines are entirely different. We have much better lives, you and I. We have the highest honor women could have, as primary concubines to two of the most powerful men in Hokoku. They have money and power and we can relax in it without having to do much. We're much freer than slaves, free to socialize, if not with the whole world than at least with the household, and…"

"You can be _sold_," Illiatha hissed. "Sold at a whim, and that makes you a slave no matter what you say. It makes you _cattle_."

"That's not true," Sakura said firmly. "You're just new. You'll get used to it."

Illiatha realized that she was never going to get through to the pastel-haired woman, and knew already that her mind was not going to change about her situation. She sighed and watched the sun glint off of the koi in the pond, for the moment depressed and resigned to her fate.

After a long silence, Sakura asked, "How old are you?"

"I was born when the waters start flowing again and I have lived sixteen summers."

"'When the waters start flowing again?'"

"Up in the north – here, instead of rain after the dry season, leaves fall from the trees. I think you call it autumn."

"Oh, alright. And if you count by summers, than this one will kind of be like your seventeenth birthday, won't it? I'm only fifteen." Sakura frowned a little as Illiatha just shrugged slightly – this strange dark girl's mood swings were unnerving. "Well, I think you'll like the summers here. They aren't as…um…dangerous. Oh! Is that why your skin is dark? Because it's burnt?"

Illiatha looked up sharply, the shock in her eyes too blatant for Sakura to notice the offense. "What?"

"Does it hurt?"

"There is nothing wrong with my skin! I was born this way; everyone in my tribe is and always has been. The only thing the sun does to me is make my hair light. How rude! I could ask you why you are so pale and sickly looking, but I choose not to!"

"_Sickly looking_?" Sakura gasped. They quickly fell into a petty, vain spat.

Inside, Neji and Sasuke sat opposite each other, a small table between them, upon which were arrayed several scrolls. Sasuke was perched over the table, scanning and quite possibly memorizing the reports that were set before him. Neji's eyes were focused on Illiatha, and he watched with a slight smirk as she and the Haruno girl got into a little fight. Almost to himself, he said,

"What do you think of her, Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke glanced up from his perusal of the scrolls and looked searchingly at Neji for a moment before replying in his customary monotone, "With all respect, Hyuuga-san, I have no patience for another concubine in my house."

"With all respect, Uchiha-san, I wasn't offering her to you."

Sasuke grunted and straightened, turning slightly to look the new girl over more carefully. "She is exotic, just as they said."

"'They?'"

"You weren't exactly secretive, were you, carting her back up here? I doubt that even Uzumaki is unaware of her. Talk of this 'energetic, exotic dark girl' is everywhere." Sasuke paused and frowned. "It's actually annoying. I wish that you'd kept her a better secret."

"Maybe I should have, but no one's bothered me about it. I'm especially glad that she's already over fifteen; I don't have to present her this way."

Sasuke made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat.

"You're presenting Haruno soon, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Sasuke closed his eyes, as if he had a sudden headache, "in late shigatsu 3." He watched as Illiatha slammed her palm down next to her seat in an angry but noncombative gesture, and frowned as Sakura cowered from it. "I can see why they call her energetic. She obviously hasn't had the slightest bit of training."

"She's had some," Neji said casually, "but I can't do much more or the tenketsu around her mouth may be permanently damaged."

Sasuke raised one eyebrow but didn't question him. Instead, he directed them both back to the reason for his presence. "These reports," he began.

"Yes," Neji said. "You're probably thinking that there's nothing to worry about, according to these."

"According to these," Sasuke said, slightly irritated, "there isn't." He pulled out a map of Hokoku and pointed out the obvious. "Here I am," he said, pointing to his expansive lands in the most northwestern corner of Hokoku, "my northwest territories, and here," he pulled over another map showing the lines of expansion, "my conquered territories to the north and east of me, pressing on the southeastern border of Dokoku, and into the disputed territories between Dokoku and Hokoku, and the northern disputed territory between Kazekoku and Hokoku." He paused, frowning. "I've got very little opposition there, and none from Uzumaki.

"Then there's you, Hyuuga-san," he murmured, pointing to the land directly south of his. "Your Hokoku territory on the west border, and your expansion into the disputed territory to the west of that, between Kazekoku and Hokoku. As I understand it, you've had insubstantial opposition there, as well. Am I right?" He paused and looked up to register Hyuuga's nod. "Well, then here.

"Uzumaki in the far east, separated from me by Hatake Kakashi-san's lands, not bordering yours at all. He's expanding into the south, into other Hokoku lords' lands, that idiot, and almost has had his army get to the gates of the Hokoku capital. He's nowhere near either of us, and not moving towards either of us, so why call me here as if he's a threat?"

"As I said, Uchiha-san," Neji muttered, "It doesn't look that way from these. Even so, my spies in his household report that these scrolls are false." He paused to give Sasuke the opportunity to comment, and when the younger man didn't, he continued. "Apparently Uzumaki has been sending decoy armies into the south, and begun expanding into the disputed land between Raikoku and Hokoku."

"Why?" Sasuke asked. "I know he wouldn't change his mind from the sudden revelation that his previous actions were borderline treason."

"It's probably on Akiyoshi's advisement. Either way, that's not of much consequence compared to this: Uzumaki _is_ moving west. My spies have spotted small groups of Uzumaki ninja here," he placed his fingertip on the southernmost tip of Hatake Kakashi's land, "and here." He moved his finger to put it a small distance west of the capital. "He's going to try to sneak into our lands, Uchiha, and catch us off-guard."

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully at the map, then sighed. "I don't pretend to know why, but I understand what you say he's doing. What do you plan to do about it?"

"Both of our forces are already spread thinly, but if we call in ninja from the closest outposts, we should be able to defend our borders long enough to get word to the Hokage." Neji scowled slightly. "I don't like the sensation of running to Hokage for help, but if not it would probably look like civil war."

Sasuke hummed in agreement, then fell silent for a while. "I don't think he's coming for our lands, Hyuuga."

"What would he risk coming here for, then?"

"Revenge." Sasuke glared at the map as if it were Uzumaki Naruto himself. "A petty, childish kind of revenge, but revenge nonetheless. It is no secret that he's still angry about us defeating him in the Arena."

"So he's coming for us," Neji said thoughtfully. "I don't fear Uzumaki," he began.

"I understand." Sasuke said. He bowed slightly in a purely ceremonial gesture before he continued. "I would be very grateful if I were allowed to stay longer, Hyuuga-sama," he said dryly, "to assist you in defending your lands."

Neji smiled slightly and bowed in return, ceremoniously. "I would be honored if you consented to stay loner than you meant to, Uchiha-sama," he murmured wryly, "to come to my aid in my time of need."

Sasuke bowed very slightly, then stood and stretched. "I hate formal meetings."

Neji stood as well. "It would have looked suspicious to invite you for a social call, and then have you stay for another month."

"It will take him a month to get here?"

"They're moving very slowly – not to get noticed, I suppose." Neji shrugged. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," Sasuke admitted.

The meal was a mostly silent affair. Neji and Sasuke were served as they sat across from each other over the same table that the plans had been on. Sakura and Illiatha served themselves and sat down off to one side. Neither Neji nor Sasuke made the usual small talk about how their respective lands were doing, or what town wasn't so faring well where, but spoke in low tones about what small reinforcements Sasuke could send for from the border, if maybe they should stay one of Uzumaki's military groups before they arrived and how much trouble would they get in, really, if they killed him? Illiatha picked at her food – strange raw fish and brown soup that, if left alone long enough, settled into brown coral patterns in the brown broth – and Sakura only drank her miso, leaving her sushi and sashimi be, tittering something about watching her figure for Uchiha-sama.

"He doesn't even pay the slightest bit of attention to you, why should you bother?" Illiatha muttered, idly nibbling on the edge of a piece of – something – white, red, and chewy. She frowned, dipped in the strange, salty dark brown sauce, tried it again, and immediately liked it better.

"Uchiha-sama sees me," Sakura said defensively. "He just doesn't show it." She looked down at her lap, depressed jus for a moment, then looked at Illiatha again, her expression firm. "And even if maybe he doesn't, I love him."

"Of course you do,"

"You're so unpleasant, burnt girl."

"Only as much as you are, you pasty-white tart."

"You're unbearable. I wish Hinata was still here. The fist year I was with the Uchiha family, we always visited here, but then Hyuuga-sama sold Hinata and I haven't seen her ever since. I'd visit her but she lives with that horrible Uzumaki Naruto…"

Illiatha considered saying, "why do you keep talking when no one cares," but decided that she was curious. "Was Hinata a handmaid?"

"Huh? Oh, no, she was – is – Hyuuga-sama's cousin, the daughter of Hyuuga Hizashi-sama." Sakura sighed. "I was five when I met her and I was so scared to be somewhere new and unfamiliar, but she befriended me immediately." Sakura smiled. "She was seven then, but I always thought of her as being my age because she was so timid. Hyuuga-sama sold her when she was eight, he'd taken over the clan by then."

"Hyuuga Hiashi had?"

"Hyuuga Hiashi-_sama_, and no, I'm talking about Hyuuga Neji-sama."

"He_took over_ the clan? How old was he? He wasn't the heir?"

"He was ten, and the Hyuuga clan has never had an heir."

"What? Do you mean to tell me that he sold his on cousin when he was ten?" Illiatha only just remembered to keep her voice down.

"I don't see why I should tell you anything," Sakura sniffed, "since you've been so rude."

Illiatha sighed. "If I say sorry, will you answer my questions?"

"You won't mean it," Sakura pointed out.

"Of course not," Illiatha said, "but I'm being honest, and in all fairness you insulted me first, by asking if my skin was unnaturally this color."

"Well, excuse me! I've just never seen anyone so dark before."

"Fine, whatever," Illiatha sighed. "Truce?"

"Okay, truce." Sakura smiled. "It would e nice to have someone I can talk to close by, anyway."

"Right. Now…"

"Oh! Right, so, the Hyuuga. It's really all very dramatic."

Illiatha rolled her eyes.

Sakura took a deep breath. "For centuries the Hyuuga family in general has had a strange split system. They divide it into the branch and main houses by which male Hyuuga shinobi is strongest. Only one family line at any one time can be called the main house, and this usually is a very small group, as the main house consists only of the strongest male shinobi, his concubine, and immediate family – his siblings, parents, and children." Sakura paused. "Are you following me so far?"

Illiatha nodded.

"Okay. Well, the main house was in the hands of Hyuuga Hiashi-sama until Hyuuga Hizashi-sama, who was Hyuuga Hiashi-sama's twin, sired Hyuuga Neji-sama. It was known that Hyuuga Neji-sama had potential, and for all that his uncle tried to deny this, it came to pass that Hyuuga Neji-sama was accepted as the obvious successor to the Hyuuga lands, especially since Hyuuga Hiashi-sama had only had two girls, and obviously women can't rule. Still with me here?"

Illiatha nodded again, impatiently. "I can't promise to have the names kept straight, but I understand. I'll stop you if I don't so just keep going."

Sakura frowned, but continued. "Anyways, in retaliation for having lost the main house to his younger twin – did I mention that Hyuuga Hizashi-sama was the younger twin? – Hyuuga Hiashi-sama murdered Hyuuga Neji-sama's parents. Knowing…"

"Chotto matte!3" Illiatha gasped. "He murdered his own twin?"

"Well, not exactly," Sakura said, frowning, "but pretty much. He convinced Hyuuga Hizashi-sama to go on a suicide mission, and then when Hyuuga Hizashi-sama died, his bound concubine – Hyuuga Neji-sama's mother – killed herself out of grief. As I was…"

"Wait. Mission? Bound concubine?"

Sakura sighed. "You really don't know anything, do you?" Before Illiatha's offended look could turn into offensive words and ruin their truce, Sakura continued. "Ninja go on missions to make money."

Sakura didn't seem to feel that this needed any more detailed of an explanation, so Illiatha dropped it. "You are not making much sense, Hana-chan, but move on anyway."

Sakura harrumphed. "Fine. Oh, and bound concubines are women that a master chooses to bear his children. Those can't be sold. Uma, as I was saying, knowing that he couldn't kill his uncle, as punishment Hyuuga Neji-sama sold his cousin Hyuuga Hinata – his uncle's firstborn daughter – to the Uzumaki family instead. It well known that Hyuuga Hiashi-sama hated Uzumaki Naruto with a passion, so…. Anyway, Hyuuga Hiashi-sama was allowed to keep his younger daughter Hyuuga Hanabi, but only on the grounds that he not attempt to assassinate another main house member ever again. Hyuuga Hiashi-sama agreed, of course, but there are rumors that he still hires assassins every year to try to take Hyuuga Neji-sama's life. I told you it was dramatic."

Illiatha hummed thoughtfully as she looked down at her food. The rumors might not be true, but the rest of it was probably accurate. Maybe the Hyuuga lord had a reason for being an ass. "Why was Hyuuga Hiashi so desperate to hold n to the main house?"

Sakura shrugged. "Power, maybe. Men like power – and you should really say Hyuuga Hiashi-sama. Oh, power, and it probably galled him that his younger twin's nine year old child had already surpassed him in ninja skill."

"Ninja," Illiatha murmured, rolling the word around on her tongue, examining it. "Is that your word for the sorcerers here?"

"Sorcerers?" Sakura repeated, confused. "Ninja are just men who have been taught to use their chakra to fight – and their bodies, too, but the chakra use is what makes them ninja."

"Chakra is...?"

"A person's life force. Everyone has it – some more than others."

"Is it like the aura of a demon? I am familiar with that,"

Sakura was wide-eyed. "You—familiar with—demons?"

Illiatha nodded. "In my tribe, I was a priestess. I have spoken many times with Tori no Gobi, the Red Phoenix, queen of my class of familiars, flying birds. I was taught that in order to call the Red Phoenix, I had give a large part of that aspect of myself that is like the aura of a demon. It was always very tiring, but… is that it? Was that my cha-kra?"

Sakura nodded. "You've… called a demon? Like… like Kyuubi?"

"Just Gobi. Gobi has five tails. I can call her, because she is female. Kyuubi is the fox, yes? Is it not male? I was taught that I can not communicate with male demons." Illiatha paused. "I suppose it does not matter. Demons do not have gender the way we think of it, anyways. You are looking at me strangely. Is something wrong?" Illiatha was suddenly irritated. "Are you staring at my 'burnt' skin again?"

"Wha—no!" Sakura shook herself. "No, no, I … sorry. I've just… I've never heard of a woman ever interacting with demons. Sorry."

Illiatha shrugged. "Tell me more about ninja?"

Sakura nodded. "I'll start with taijutsu,"

Sasuke set his chopsticks down on his miso bowl and gazed out at the sun setting on the garden. "We should probably send a group of ninja to attack and stall the northernmost pack of Uzumaki invaders." He shrugged. "You might want to run that by your advisor. I've heard that Nara is an excellent tactician."

"He is," Neji said, "but lazy. I'll run it by him, though." He sipped silently at his tea, then set it down again. "I'm told that you still have no advisor, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke glanced at him at the uncommon familiarity, then looked away again and shrugged. "Hatake Kakashi is something of a part-time advisor to me. Recently I've had an offer from a man named Orochimaru – he gave no surname, which is suspicious. I have yet to answer him, but I am strongly inclined to refuse."

"Orochimaru…" Neji murmured. "I've heard that name before, I'm sure of it, but I can't place it. It's annoying."

"Isn't it?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. "I have the same sensation. It's unsettling."

Neji hummed thoughtfully and joined Sasuke in looking out at the garden. On a whim, he began, "You know, I am in an unusually gay mood right now. I have never been so happy to be home from the field – usually just the opposite. I'm feeling companionable."

Sasuke looked at him as if to say "so what?"

"Since you'll be staying," Neji began, "and helping me by doing so, I thought I would share something with you."

Sasuke frowned. "As much as we are allies, _Hyuuga-san_," he said, stressing the minor formality, "I am in no way interested in having that sort of relationship with you."

Neji frowned as well. "That is not what I meant." He said. "What I was going to say is this: because I am feeling companionable, and because I owe you for helping me, you may have the dark girl."

Sasuke sighed. "Neji…kun," he said, hesitating on the honorific, "I told you before, I have no patience for another concubine, and no need for another maid…"

Neji interrupted him. "I know, Sasuke-kun. But I thought that you might enjoy having her while you're here. She isn't what anyone could call trained yet, and she's resisting it with a passion, so I couldn't give her to you permanently anyway, as unruly as she is. She is a refreshing change from other women, though, and she hasn't been touched in all the time that I've had her – it's possible that she's never been touched at all – so I thought you might enjoy her. I won't be offended if you refuse," he added, almost as an afterthought, "since it was just a casual suggestion."

Sasuke was silent for a while, then he asked,

"Was this a late lunch or an early dinner?"

Neji smiled slightly. "An early dinner, I think." He stood slowly, and maids immediately and silently rushed to clear the table. "Hanabi will guide you to your room when you're ready."

Sasuke nodded and stood as well, bowing. "Thank you for your offer, Neji-kun."

Neji also bowed slightly. "You're welcome. The room across the hall from yours is also ready, for Haruno."

Sasuke nodded again as Neji bowed to him and left.

Sakura wasn't even halfway through her explanation of taijutsu when Sasuke came up behind her and set his hand on her shoulder. She jumped and turned towards him, bowing. "Uchiha-sama!" she gasped. "You startled me,"

"We're leaving, Haruno." He wasn't _looking_ at her again, he was looking at Illiatha. "Come with me, Ahana."

Illiatha looked at him suspiciously and stood, frowning. "Sasuke, right?" Sakura winced – the girl had no manners!

"_Uchiha-sama_ to you, Ahana." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her.

"My name is Illiatha, _Sasuke_." Illiatha sneered.

Neither woman even saw him move before Illiatha was gasping in pain, her left arm twisted at an odd, painful angle behind her back, and Sasuke's breath on her ear. "You will call me _Uchiha-sama_, or seme, woman, and nothing less. I will not tolerate you pretending that you are equal to me in any way. Is that clear?"

Sakura, who had sat up reluctantly from her bow, shivered involuntarily. His voice was like _ice_, and she was scared. She was timid around him, but she had never been scared of him before. He was just as fierce as her romantic fantasies made him, and she was quite suddenly glad that she wasn't the one his anger was directed at – and she never wanted to be.

"You egotistical, chauvinistic _bastard_," Illiatha breathed, then cried out as her other arm was bent behind her, forcing her into the undignified position of having her chest thrust out. Her neck was arched in pain, and the back of her head rested on his shoulder. She was tempted to struggle, but knew that any move she made would dislocate one or both of her shoulders.

"I said," Sasuke whispered, cheek against hers, "_Is that clear_?"

"Yes," Illiatha hissed. She sighed in relief as her arms were freed, and rubbed her shoulders, trying to ease the residual pain.

Sasuke smirked just slightly – a smug expression that she hated – and nodded at Sakura. "Come on,"

A young girl that neither Sakura nor Illiatha had registered as more than a shadow by the shoji stood upa nd bowed to Sasuke as he approached, then led them through the house, towards what Sakura remembered as being the west side, and stopped in the hall, a door on either side of her. "This is Uchiha-sama's room," she whispered, gesturing to the door on her left. "This other is Haruno-san's room." She said. "Will Uchiha-sama be requiring anything else?"

"No." Sasuke said. The girl bowed to him and he bowed just slightly in return. Once she had left, he put his hand on the small of Illiatha's back and said, "Come with me."

* * *

-

* * *

1 – Hana-chan means flower girl. Sort of. 

2 – Gobi is as described, a red phoenix demon. This isn't slapping canon in the face, I think, because as of yet no five-tailed demon has been mentioned in the manga. At least to my knowledge.

3 – Chotto matte means "hey wait" basically.

* * *

End Author's Notes

I hoe that was long enough for the first actual chapter. The M-rated version is actually a bit longer, but I don't want to risk the wrath of FFnet admins. Hope none of the explanations were too convoluted, I revised them and revised them and revised them again, trying to get them to be easy-to-understand. Review and let me know, eh? hint!


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